Michael Clayton (2007)
Crime, Drama, Mystery |.
Michael Clayton is a American legal thriller film written and directed by Tony Gilroy in his feature directorial debut and starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack. The film chronicles the attempts by attorney Michael Clayton to cope with a colleague’s apparent mental breakdown and the corruption and intrigue surrounding a major client of his law firm being sued in a class action case over the effects of toxic agrochemicals.
Released on October 5, 2007, the film grossed $93 million worldwide. It was praised for Gilroy’s direction, the performances, and the screenplay; Swinton’s performance was particularly lauded. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, as well as Best Actor for Clooney, Best Supporting Actor for Wilkinson, and Best Supporting Actress for Swinton, which she won.
Michael Clayton is a “fixer” for a prestigious New York City law firm, using his connections and knowledge of legal loopholes for clients’ benefit. One night he receives a call about a client who was involved in a hit-and-run accident, leaving his high-stakes poker game to attend to the matter. Later he drives into the countryside and in the early morning he suddenly stops to approach a trio of horses in a field, when a bomb detonates in his car parked nearby.
Four days earlier, Arthur Edens, one of the firm’s leading attorneys, has a manic episode in the middle of a deposition in Milwaukee involving a multibillion-dollar, six-year-long class action lawsuit against client U-North, an agricultural products conglomerate. Michael arrives in Milwaukee and bails Arthur out of jail after finding out he is no longer taking his medication, but Arthur escapes from their hotel room in the middle of the night and returns to New York.
Director: Tony Gilroy
Writer: Tony Gilroy
Stars: George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack, Michael O’Keefe, Austin Williams, Denis O’Hare
Cast:
| Tom Wilkinson | … | Arthur Edens |
| Michael O’Keefe | … | Barry Grissom |
| Sydney Pollack | … | Marty Bach |
| Danielle Skraastad | … | Bridget Klein (voice) |
| Tilda Swinton | … | Karen Crowder |
| George Clooney | … | Michael Clayton |
| Wai Chan | … | Chinese Dealer |
| Alberto Vazquez | … | Player #1 |
| Brian Koppelman | … | Player #2 |
| Tom McCarthy | … | Walter (voice) |
| Denis O’Hare | … | Mr. Greer |
| Julie White | … | Mrs. Greer |
| Austin Williams | … | Henry Clayton |
| Jennifer Van Dyck | … | Ivy |
| Frank Wood | … | Gerald |
| Richard Hecht | … | Auctioneer |
| Bill Raymond | … | Gabe Zabel |
| Jonathan Walker | … | Del (voice) |
| Sharon Washington | … | Pam |
| Cynthia Mace | … | Wendy (voice) |
| Michael Countryman | … | Evan (voice) |
| Ken Howard | … | Don Jeffries |
| Amy Hargreaves | … | Interviewer |
| Susan Pellegrino | … | Secretary |
| Rachel Black | … | Maude |
| Matthew Detmer | … | Todd |
| John Douglas Thompson | … | Jail Guard |
| Merritt Wever | … | Anna (as Meritt Wever) |
| Brian Poteat | … | Deposition Lawyer |
| Christopher Mann | … | Lieutenant Elston |
| Edward Furs | … | Milwaukee Captain |
| Katherine Waterston | … | Third Year |
| John Gerard Franklin | … | Correction Officer |
| Remy Auberjonois | … | Fifth Year |
| Pun Bandhu | … | Fourth Year |
| Jason Strong | … | First Year |
| Robert Prescott | … | Mr. Verne |
| Paul Oquist | … | Starter |
| Terry Serpico | … | Mr. Iker |
| Heidi Armbruster | … | Anna’s Sister |
| Pamela Gray | … | Cindy Bach |
| Andrew Hunter Sherman | … | U / North (voice) (as Andrew Sherman) |
| Kevin Hagan | … | Raymond Clayton |
| Julia Gibson | … | Stephanie Clayton |
| Sean Cullen | … | Gene Clayton |
| Susan Egbert | … | Michelle |
| David Lansbury | … | Timmy Clayton |
| David Zayas | … | Detective Dalberto |
| Douglas McGrath | … | Jeff Gaffney (as Doug McGrath) |
| Gregory Dann | … | Cop |
| Cathy Diane Tomlin | … | Cop #2 |
| Sam Gilroy | … | Copy Kid |
| Maggie Siff | … | Attorney #1 |
| Sarah Nichols | … | Barry’s Assistant |
| Susan McBrien | … | Jean |
| Jordan Lage | … | Partner |
| Neal Huff | … | First Associate |
| Paul Juhn | … | Second Associate |
| Patrick Askin | … | Auction Bidder (uncredited) |
| Angelo Bonsignore | … | Videographer (uncredited) |
| Kevin Cannon | … | Auction Worker (uncredited) |
| Pat Chambers | … | Airport drop off (uncredited) |
| Clem Cheung | … | Landlord (uncredited) |
| Tony Gilroy | … | Taxi Driver (voice) (uncredited) |
| Emelie Jeffries | … | Raymond Clayton’s Nurse (uncredited) |
| Richard Kelly | … | Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Owen Lund | … | Ron (uncredited) |
| Kimmy Suzuki | … | Copy Shop Clerk (uncredited) |
| Robert Torres | … | Parking Lot Attendant (uncredited) |
| Steven Weisz | … | Executive (uncredited) |
| Kenneth G. Yong | … | Elevator Operator (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia